Armada Music, which claims to be the largest independent dance music label in the world, has hired Jason Ellis (formerly of Positiva) as Senior Global A&R Manager.
Ellis will also serve as an acquisition consultant for BEAT Music Fund, Armada Music’s recently launched dance music investment arm.
As Senior Director, Global A&R, Ellis will be responsible for finding and developing promising talent, and consulting on future acquisitions as BEAT continues to grow.
He will be based at Armada Music’s London office.
For more than 20 years, Ellis was at the helm of British dance label Positiva Records, owned by Universal Music Group, which during his tenure generated more than 80 million singles sales, 3.5 million albums and 4 billion streams in the UK alone.
He most recently served as Managing Director, combining the role with senior A&R duties at Virgin, Virgin EMI and most recently EMI Records, where he signed Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and Jonas Blue, while overseeing campaigns for Avicii. , Gorgon City. , Sub Focus, David Guetta and deadmau5.
Amsterdam-based Armada Music – the independent label behind dance/techno legends such as Chicane and Paul Van Dyk – launched BEAT Music in April and revealed plans to spend $100m on mergers and acquisitions during his first two years.
At the time, BEAT, which stands for “Best Ever Acquired Tracks”, announced two acquisitions:
- The master catalog of KMS Records, which was founded by house and techno legend Kevin Saunderson.
- The master and edition catalogs of the musician, DJ and producer ARTY, alias Alpha 9.
Earlier this month, Madeleine van Schendel joined Armada as chief growth officer, while Jop Bonnike, formerly chief executive, was promoted to chief operating officer, and Michel Peek from head of publishing to chief executive. publishing general.
“Having Jason on board to lead the A&R direction for BEAT and Armada will be invaluable as we strive to build the greatest legacy in dance music”, –
Maykel Piron, Armada Music
“Having Jason on board to lead the A&R direction for BEAT and Armada will be invaluable as we strive to build the greatest legacy in dance music,” said Maykel Piron, CEO of Armada Music and CEO of BEAT Music Fund. .
Basically, it’s about building and nurturing the best music and the best artists. I am excited to begin !
Jason Ellis
“Joining Maykel and the team at Armada and the recently launched BEAT Music Fund feels like the next natural step in my career, given the exciting opportunity to use my considerable network and experience accumulated over many years,” Ellis said.
“It’s a very exciting time for both companies on many levels, but fundamentally it’s about building and nurturing the best music and the best artists. I can’t wait to get started!
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